expression from my face that might be misinterpreted.
“Too late,” she said. “Are you going to see him again?”
“He’s coming by to say goodbye before he leaves,” I admitted.
Maddy deflated. “That’s it? He didn’t try any harder than that to get another date with you?”
I considered not telling her about our conversation, but I knew that she wouldn’t be satisfied until she heard it all. “He told me that if I’m ever willing to date again, he wants to be first in line.”
“That’s the spirit.” My sister frowned at me, and after a moment’s pause, she said, “But I’m willing to bet that you brushed him off.”
“Actually, I left the door wide open,” I said.
“I’m so proud of you,” Maddy said as she stopped us and hugged me.
“There’s not exactly a reason to celebrate,” I said. “There’s a real possibility that day might never come.”
She laughed as she said, “But there’s a chance that it might. That’s all that counts, just knowing that there’s a possibility you might say yes.”
“You are a hopeless romantic, aren’t you?”
“I thought you already knew that,” my sister said as we joined the crowd. “No woman gets married as many times as I have without being one.”
“You’ve got a point.” I looked at my watch. “What time is Italia’s supposed to open?”
A man beside me must have overheard, because he said, “They should have been open thirty minutes ago. I understand wanting to build suspense, but this is ridiculous. I wonder if there’s anyplace else to eat around here.”
“A Slice of Delight is just over there,” Maddy said as she pointed back to our pizzeria.
“Nope, they’re closed. I checked them half an hour ago.”
“Try again in ten minutes,” I said, that being all the time I was going to give Judson Sizemore before I gave up on him.
He shrugged, and I decided to let it go at that. A stage had been set up in front of the new pizzeria, and I saw that I wasn’t the only one growing impatient with the delay. The mayor was whispering with the head of the city council, and they both kept looking back over their shoulders toward the restaurant.
I was about to say something to Maddy when I noticed Kevin Hurley mount the steps to the stage. He went directly to the mayor, whispered something to him, and then left as fast as he’d come.
The mayor immediately took the stage, approached the microphone, and then said, “Ladies and gentlemen, I’m afraid that the grand opening of Italia’s has been delayed indefinitely. I’m sure the owner appreciates your support, but there’s nothing that can be done about it. Enjoy the rest of your day.” With that, he practically sprinted from the stage before a reporter from Timber Talk , our local paper, could interview him. I noticed a TV truck from WHKY in Hickory standing by, and a reporter holding a microphone as he conveyed the news to his viewers.
There were some grumbles from the crowd, and as they started breaking up, Maddy shouted, “I’ve got great news, folks. A Slice of Delight is open right now, if anyone’s hungry.”
There were murmurs and nods from the crowd, and several folks started off in our direction.
“Why on earth did you do that?” I asked as I hustled back to unlock the front door and get ready to make pizza.
“Their loss is our gain,” she said with a grin. “Why not take advantage of it?”
I couldn’t argue with her logic. “It looks like we’re going to be busy. Why do you suppose Judson called off the grand opening?”
“Does it matter? We’re getting some free publicity from it, and enough customers to help add to our rainy-day fund—and we both know it’s about to pour.”
I decided to go along with Maddy’s idea, not that I had any real choice. If these folks wanted pizza, it wasn’t up to me to tell them no.
I was making pizzas as fast as I could, with the conveyor belt full, and several more pies waiting to go through. I
“Too late,” she said. “Are you going to see him again?”
“He’s coming by to say goodbye before he leaves,” I admitted.
Maddy deflated. “That’s it? He didn’t try any harder than that to get another date with you?”
I considered not telling her about our conversation, but I knew that she wouldn’t be satisfied until she heard it all. “He told me that if I’m ever willing to date again, he wants to be first in line.”
“That’s the spirit.” My sister frowned at me, and after a moment’s pause, she said, “But I’m willing to bet that you brushed him off.”
“Actually, I left the door wide open,” I said.
“I’m so proud of you,” Maddy said as she stopped us and hugged me.
“There’s not exactly a reason to celebrate,” I said. “There’s a real possibility that day might never come.”
She laughed as she said, “But there’s a chance that it might. That’s all that counts, just knowing that there’s a possibility you might say yes.”
“You are a hopeless romantic, aren’t you?”
“I thought you already knew that,” my sister said as we joined the crowd. “No woman gets married as many times as I have without being one.”
“You’ve got a point.” I looked at my watch. “What time is Italia’s supposed to open?”
A man beside me must have overheard, because he said, “They should have been open thirty minutes ago. I understand wanting to build suspense, but this is ridiculous. I wonder if there’s anyplace else to eat around here.”
“A Slice of Delight is just over there,” Maddy said as she pointed back to our pizzeria.
“Nope, they’re closed. I checked them half an hour ago.”
“Try again in ten minutes,” I said, that being all the time I was going to give Judson Sizemore before I gave up on him.
He shrugged, and I decided to let it go at that. A stage had been set up in front of the new pizzeria, and I saw that I wasn’t the only one growing impatient with the delay. The mayor was whispering with the head of the city council, and they both kept looking back over their shoulders toward the restaurant.
I was about to say something to Maddy when I noticed Kevin Hurley mount the steps to the stage. He went directly to the mayor, whispered something to him, and then left as fast as he’d come.
The mayor immediately took the stage, approached the microphone, and then said, “Ladies and gentlemen, I’m afraid that the grand opening of Italia’s has been delayed indefinitely. I’m sure the owner appreciates your support, but there’s nothing that can be done about it. Enjoy the rest of your day.” With that, he practically sprinted from the stage before a reporter from Timber Talk , our local paper, could interview him. I noticed a TV truck from WHKY in Hickory standing by, and a reporter holding a microphone as he conveyed the news to his viewers.
There were some grumbles from the crowd, and as they started breaking up, Maddy shouted, “I’ve got great news, folks. A Slice of Delight is open right now, if anyone’s hungry.”
There were murmurs and nods from the crowd, and several folks started off in our direction.
“Why on earth did you do that?” I asked as I hustled back to unlock the front door and get ready to make pizza.
“Their loss is our gain,” she said with a grin. “Why not take advantage of it?”
I couldn’t argue with her logic. “It looks like we’re going to be busy. Why do you suppose Judson called off the grand opening?”
“Does it matter? We’re getting some free publicity from it, and enough customers to help add to our rainy-day fund—and we both know it’s about to pour.”
I decided to go along with Maddy’s idea, not that I had any real choice. If these folks wanted pizza, it wasn’t up to me to tell them no.
I was making pizzas as fast as I could, with the conveyor belt full, and several more pies waiting to go through. I
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